Cementing of well pipe in stages



July 16, 1963 w. B. oRR 3,097,699

' CEMENTING oF WELL PIPE 1N STAGES Filed oct. 6. 1961 i F|G.l I lsi. STAGE CEMENT 59 INVENToR.

.f/ wlLLls P. oRR.

, ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,097,699 t CEMENTING F WELL PIPE IN STAGES Willis P. Orr, Tyler, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 143,336 2 Claims. (Cl. 166-224) This invention concerns apparatus for use in technique for cementing well pipe in a borehole in two or more stages, and in particular it concerns la staging tool or tools arranged along the length of a well pipe in 1a manner to facilitate carrying out of the stage cementing operation.

4Stage cementng of well pipe has important advantages over single-column cementing in many wells. It reduces the possibility of breaking down a weak formation with the thigh cementing pressures required to lift a long column of cement; it minimizes cement contamination during long column cementing; it reduces the quantity of cement required when it is desired 4to cement widely separated or spaced intervals; and it -is useful in placing a cement sheath as a substitute for surface casing.

However, these Xadvantages in operations are offset when presently-available staging techniques and tools are used, for in order to complete the well `atte-r stage cementing operations it is necessary to dn-ill out cement and .plugs left in the well pipe and stage tool or tools.

rIlhus, the staging .tool of the invention overcomes disadvantages in the use of yavailable tools by eliminating the necessity to drill out the tool and by leaving the well pipe full of displacing iluid instead of having a portion of the well pipe lled with cement. In the arrangement of the invention, the entire length of the well pipe is accessible for work-over operations. In known stage cementing techniques, also, therubber plugs used to spot the stage cement remain in the well pipe 'and are diicult to drill out. vIn the technique of the invention, no plug is iet in theA well pipe and, consequently, drilling out of it prior to cementing in the later stages is eliminated.

The -staging tool of the invention permits cementing of upper sands; cementing off of a water sand; .and placing of cement as a substitute forsu-rtace casing.

Thus, :a primary object of the present invention is to provide ran improved stage cementing tool land a stage cementing technique for use therewith.

In brief, the cement staging tool comprises a h'ol'low body memberhaving an offset mandrel mounted thereon; said mandrel having a ilud passageway therethrough; `a sleeve valve slidable in said body member between one position which opens fluid communication between the interior of said body member and said mandrel passage- Way and another position which` closes fluid communication betweenthe interior of said body member and said mandrel passageway; a check valve positioned in said mandrel passageway for permitting flow of iiuid from the interior of said mandrel through said passageway, but pnevcnting flow of fluid to the interior of said mandrel through said passageway; a iluid pressure releasable plug positioned in said passageway for preventing ow of fluid through said passageway; and means for locking said sleeve .in its closed position.

The Iabove object and other objec-ts and advantages of the invention will be apparent from `a more detailed description thereof when taken with the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a vertical, partly sectional view of the staging tool of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of `011e -use of the staging tool of FIG. l; land FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the use of a plurality of staging tools.

For a more detailed description of the invention, reference now is made to the drawing. In FIG. l the staging 3,097,699 Patented July 16, 1963 "ice tool is shown, and lit includes a hollow body member or mandrel 10 having an offset or side pocket mandrel 1v1 mounted thereon. Body 1d is provided with threaded end por-tions 12 and 13, which are used to threadedly connect body 10 in a well pipe 14, which in turn is supponted in a borehole 15 from a wellhead 37 (see FIG. 2). One end of a passageway 16 in mandrel 11 terminates in an opening 17 leading .to the interior of body lil. The other end of mandrel 11 terminates in an opening 18, which fluidly communicates with the annulus between the wall of borehole 15 and well pipe 14 when body 10 is in posi-tion in well pipe 14. A pump-out plug 19 is initially positioned -in passageway 16 adjacent opening 18, [and it includes a solid member 2i) having sealing elements arranged thereon and connected to mandrel 11 by means of ia shear pin 21. A sliding sleeve valve 22 having an opening 23 along the length thereof is ar-ranged in body 10. The upper end of sleeve valve 22 is spl-it to form a plurality of expansible lingers 24, which have formed thereon locking lugs 25 Iand latching shoulders 26. The interior wall of body 10 is provided with upper and lower locking slots 27 and 2S. In its lowermost position, opening 23 in sleeve valve 22' is aligned with opening 1.7 in mandrel `11, and lug 2S is engaged with locking slot 28. In its uppermost position, opening 17 is not aligned with opening 231, and lug 25 is engaged with looking slot 27. Sleeve valve 22 is initially in its lower or open position and is movable t-o its upper closed position by means of a wire line tool (not shown) which engages shoulder 26 of fthe sleeve valve. A check valve 29 also arranged in passageway 16 permits flow through this passageway in ia direction away from opening 17 but prevents back flow toward opening 17.

The op eration of a two stage cementing technique utiliz- `ing one staging tool for a well containing only one long pipe string is illustrated in FIG. 2, and this operation will now be described. For cementing the iirst stage the well conditioned as `required and the rst stage cement is pumped from cement truck 35 lthro-ugh conduits 36 and 46 into well pipe 14, which is provided with a conventional cement shoe 41. A volume of cement suticient to cement off an interval 38 is pumped down well pipe 14 past the stage tool and through cement shoe 41 on the lower end of the pipe string and up the annulus between the wall of borehole 1S and well pipe 14, as indicated at 39, the predetenmined volume of cement being followed by a cement top plug 40 `and follow-up fluid pumped by pump 45 through conduit 46 until plug 40 is positioned atop cement shoe 41, as illustrated. Well Huid in the annulus between the well pipe and the borehole wall is displaced upwardly through the annulus to the earths surface. During the rst stage cementing, the stage tool is in lthe position show-n in FIG. 1; that is, the sleeve valve is `open and the pump-out plug closes the upper end of passageway 16.

The second stage cement slurry is now placed in lthe annulus by iirst pumping fluid by means of pump 45 into well pipe 14 via conduit 46, `and additional pressure 1000 to 300 psi. above the pressure used for the first-stage cementing job is applied yto fracture shear pin 21 and ilush pump-out plug 18 from the upper end of passageway 1,6. Then the second stage cement slurry from cement truck 35 4is pumped through conduits 36 and 46 into well pipe 1-4 through openings 17, 23, land check valve 29 through the upper end opening 18 of mandrel 11 into the annulus between well pipe 14 and the wall of the borehole 15. The desired volume of cement for the second stage designated 47 is followed by displacing tinid pumped into well pipe 14 by means of pump 45. Then, pressure is released on the displacing iluid, `and sleeve valve 22 is closed by lowering a wire line tool into sleeve valve 22 and engaging shoulder 26 to move sleeve valve 22 upwardly until lug 25 engages locking slot 27.

The sliding sleeve valve can be locked in this position, since there will be no further need for opening this valve.

By the use of this technique the well pipe 14 is only left with cement-displacing fluid following the cementing operation. The weil pipe is fully open. There are no plugs or tools or cement to drill out for additional cement'- ing stages.

Although in the foregoing description of the invention, only the setting of a surface sheath of cement has been described, other second-stage cementing operations may be performed. Additionally, although only a two stage cementing operation using one well .pipe and one staging tool was described to illustrate the invention, three or more cementing stages using additional staging tools may be performed. When more than one staging tool is used, as illustrated in FlG. 3, each tool is positioned adjacent the place the cement is to be spotted, and to prevent the upper tools from fracturing their shear pins 21 prematurely, the relative strengths of the shear pins of each tool may be increased `from the'lowerm'ost to the uppermost tools or openings i7 of the upper tools may be closed by sleeves 22 until the tools :are needed. Thus, referring to FIG. 3, the irst and second stages of cement 39 and '50, respectively, are placed in the annulus in the same man-` ner as described with reference to FIG. 2. After Setting these stages, the third stage cement slurry is placed inthe into well pipe 14 via conduit 45, and additional pressure 1000 to 3000 p.s.i. above the pressure used for the second stage cementin-g job is applied to fracture the shear. pin of the staging tool designated by the body member 10a and mandrel 11a and flush the pump-out plug from the upper end of the passageway of mandrel lla. Then the third stage cement slurry from cement truck 35 is pumped through conduit 36 and 46 `into well pipe 14 through openings 17, 23, `and check valve 23 and the upper end of the mandrel 11a into the `annulus between well pipe 14 and the wall of the borehole 15. The desired volume of cement for the third stage designated Slis followed by displacing tluid pumped into weil pipe 14 by means of pump `45. rlfhen pressure is released on the displacing fluid and sleeve valve 22 in body member 10a is closed by lowering a wire line tool into sleeve valve 22 and engaging shoulder 26 to move sleeve valve 22 upwardly until lug 25 engages locking slot 27. Also, cementing operations may be carried out using the staging tools in multiple tubingless completions in which case one or more of the tools would be arranged in each of several strings of casing.

Having fully described the nature, operation, elements, land objects of my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for use in stage cementing of well pipe in a borehole comprising a hollow body member connected in said well pipe and in iluid communication therewith and having `an oiset mandrel mounted thereon; said mandrel having a `fluid passageway therethrough terminating in a lateral passage opening into said hollow body member; a sleeve valve slidable in said body member between one position which opens iiuid communication between the interior of said body member and said mandrel passageway and another position which closes olf iluid communication between the interior of said body member and said mandrel passageway; a checky valve positioned in said mandrel passageway for permitting flow of iluid when said sleeve valve is in said one position from the interior of said body member through said passageway but preventing flow of iluid to the interior of said body member through said passageway; a fluid pressure releasable plug positioned vin said passageway further from said sleeve valve than check valve and adapted to prevent ow of iluid through said passageway; and means for locking said sleeve valve in its other closed position.

2. Apparatus for use in stage cementing well pipes in a borehole comprising a plurality of staging tools arranged vertically spaced along the length of at least one of said well pipes; each of said staging tools comprising a hollow Ibody member connected in said well pipe and in iluid communication therewith and having an oitset man- 1 drel mounted thereon; said mandrel having a fluid passageway therethrough terminating in a lateral passage opening into said hollow body member; a sleeve valve slidable in said body member between one position which opens tluid communication between the interior of said annulus by rst pumping uid by means of pump 45 .g body member and said mandrel passageway and another position which closes olf uid communication between the interior of said body member and said mandrel passageway; a check valve positioned in said mandrel passageway Ifor permitting flow of liuid when said sleeve valve L is in said one position from the interior of said body References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,860,669 Halliburton May 31, 1932 2,144,144 Crickmer Ian. 17, 1939 2,559,536 Haynes et al. July 3, 1951 2,804,830 Garrett Sept. 3, 1957 2,999,546 Grimmer Sept. 12, 1961 3,014,531 Weaver Dec. 26, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 846,698 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1960 

1. APPARATUS FOR USE IN STAGE CEMENTING OF WELL PIPE IN A BOREHOLE COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY MEMBER CONNECTED IN SAID WELL PIPE AND IN FLUID COMMUNICATION THEREWITH AND HAVING AN OFFSET MANDREL MOUNTED THEREON; SAID MANDREL HAVING A FLUID PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH TERMINATING IN A LATERAL PASSAGE OPENING INTO SAID HOLLOW BODY MEMBER; A SLEEVE VALVE SLIDABLE IN SAID BODY MEMBER BETWEEN ONE POSITION WHICH OPENS FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND SAID MANDREL PASSAGEWAY AND ANOTHER POSITION WHICH CLOSES OFF FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND SAID MANDREL PASSAGEWAY; A CHECK VALVE POSITIONED IN SAID MANDREL PASSAGEWAY FOR PERMITTING FLOW OF FLUID WHEN SAID SLEEVE VALVE IS IN SAID ONE POSITION FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY BUT PREVENTING FLOW OF FLUID TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY; A FLUID PRESSURE RELEASABLE PLUG POSITIONED IN SAID PASSAGEWAY FURTHER FROM SAID SLEEVE VALVE THAN CHECK VALVE AND ADAPTED TO PREVENT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY; AND MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID SLEEVE VALVE IN ITS OTHER CLOSED POSITION. 